Boat lowering gear



J. B. HUNT BOAT LOWERING GEAR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11,1943

' nvenlor Jo HN B- HUNT y Aitornev Oct. 17, 1944.

J. B. HUNT V BOAT LOWERING GEAR Filed Aug. 11, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GZ.

Patented Oct. 17, 1944 BOAT LOWERING GEAR John Blain Hunt, Penylan, Cardiff, Wales Application August 11, 1943, Serial No. 498,172

In Great Britain March 13, 1943 2 Claims.

This invention comprises improvements connected with boat lowering gear of the type in which the davits are pivotally mounted at their lower ends, which serve to support a boat for example, a life-boat, in the inboard position and is movable to the outboard position to permit of the boat to be launched either manually or by a winch or other mechanism when required.

The object of this invention is to provide means to simplify the launching of life-boats at sea under abnormal listed conditions, with the minimum number of personnel.

A further object of this invention is to provide a boat lowering gear which is particularly adapted for use where the boat is normally situated inboard, adjacent to the deck house, engine house or similar structure, so that in order to lower the boat it has to traverse over the passage between the bulwark and the deck house or the like, although it may be equally well used with other types of decks where it is applicable.

Referring to the drawings- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a boat lowering gear according to this invention, whilst Figure 2 is a side elevation of same.

In carrying the present invention into practice as shown upon the accompanying drawings, the two davits, only one 24 of which is shown, which normally have the boat 25 secured thereto by means of the usual blocks 26 and tackle, are at their lower ends 21 pivotally connected to suitable base members 28 which are secured to the side or floor of the deck 29, said davits 24 being connected together by means of distance pieces 39, 3|, in order that their movement may synchronise.

Each davit 24 is mounted between a pair of inclined members 32. 33 which form a runway. These members 32, 33 are provided at their outboard ends with stops 34 which also act as distance pieces, for limiting the travel of the davits 24. V

Slidably mounted on each of the runways is a chock on which the boat 25 is normally mounted, when in its inboard position. The chocks have a wooden centre 35, with plates 36 on their sides, whilst rollers 39 are mounted on said plates 36 to contact with the inclined members 32, 33 forming the runways to reduce friction and permit of easy movement along the members 32, 33.

The inner ends of the said plates 36 of the chocks have rollers 40 mounted on the inner sides, which are adapted to engage the davits 24 which are preferably of a H shape in cross-section, so that as the boat 25 which is mounted on the chocks moves down the members 32, 33 with the chocks, the davits 24 are caused to move about their pivots 4| and move to their outboard position which is shown dotted in Figure 3, with the boat 25. This slidable connection between the davits 24 and the chocks eliminates any possibility of the davits 24 being held on their dead centres.

The inclined members 32, 33 which form a runway are at their upper ends provided with vertical extensions 42 to a convenient height, if desired, to accommodate a fixed lead for the wire fall to the head of the davits 24, when heaving in the davits 24 and the boat 25 from the outboard position to the inboard position. This top,- ping in lead also permits of the winch being placed under and within the maximum beam of the boat and so conserve deck space.

It is essential when the boat 25 is being lowered, that the paying off of the steel wire rope to which it is attached at each end should synchronise and to effect this a winch of the dead weight type should be used.

When the boat 25 is so lowered, the usual guy and other retaining wires are released and the boat on the choke moves over the runways formed by the inclined members 32, 33 with the davits 24 which swing outboard until they. reach their maximum outboard position, when they are retained against further outboard movement by the stops 34 mounted between the members 32, 33.

I claim:

1. Improvements connected with boat lowering gear, comprising in combination pivotally mopnted davits, fixed inclined runways, chocks, mounted on said runways, on which a life-boat is adapted to be mounted, a slidable connection between said davits and the chocks so that on the movement of the chocks down the runways towards the outboard position the davits are moved with the chocks.

2. Improvements connected with boat lowering gear, comprising in combination pivotally mounted davits, fixed inclined runways formed from two spaced members between which th davits move, and chocks, mounted on said runways, on which a life-boat is adapted to be mounted, the'chocks having rollers which engage and embrace the davits and are slidably connected thereto, so that on the movement of the chocks down the runways towards the outboard position the davits are moved with the chocks.

JOHN BLAIN HUNT. 

